Red and Black
by ReticentlyYellow
Summary: Vino returns from a trip with a special task for Luck and Firo...
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello! Well this actually started out as a one-shot, but I accidentally made it a chapter story. Oh well! And the purpose for my note is to tell you to visit my Baccano fansite, because there's no members, and it's no fun all on my lonesome. Just go to baccano[dot]webs[dot]com. With actual dots in place of the bracket things, obviously. And I hope you like my story!**

_Prologue_

_NYC, 1934_

Vino got off the train, sighing contentedly. The trip was a success. It definitely wasn't as exciting as the Flying Pussyfoot occurrence, but then again, he'd be hard put to top that.

He stepped onto the platform, adjusting his suit happily. It was definitely new to operate as a passenger. And Vino liked it. It gave a new thrill to what had been starting to become a boring, and somewhat tedious, game.

Casting a quick glance around the platform, he assured himself that his quarry was not there, and continued on to the street.

Vino stepped out of Grand Central Terminal and smiled when he saw a figure waving to him from down the street. It was nice that he actually had had a purpose for the train ride this time. Still smiling, Vino made his way down the sidewalk to slip into the taxi.

…

"He did say nine, right?" Firo asked nervously, adjusting his tie for what seemed like the billionth time.

Luck covered Firo's hand with his own, and brought it away from the necktie calmly. "Relax," he said. "We've got the right time, Firo." Luck continued staring out the coffee shop window, unaware of the faint blush tinting his best friend's cheeks.

After a few more minutes of waiting in silence, Firo broached the topic that had been on both their minds since Vino had called them and asked to meet up.

"What do you think he wants?"

Luck turned to Firo, a slight smile playing on his features. "Worst case scenario?"

Firo grinned. "Yeah. What is it?"

"He could've finally been caught at his game, and fled the law in that state, and now he wants our help in some bizarre way." Luck stated all this with that same, calm amused expression on his face.

Firo, however, was grinning from ear to ear. "That's your worst case scenario?"

Luck raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a worse one?"

"He could just show up covered in blood, announce that he'd just murdered the President, dump a bunch of whiskey bottles and money on us, then proceed to get us arrested and ask our help to rob the Mafia." Firo sat back, a pleased smile on his face. Luck just stared, one eyebrow still raised.

"He could show up covered in blood, piss drunk, announced he had just robbed the Mafia, murdered a fresh load of innocents, and drag us off onto another train with the police on our tail." Luck was as close to grinning as he'd ever gotten.

The two friends continued on this way for another half an hour, not even noticing when the bell over the café's door rang, announcing another customer.

…

Vino looked at his watch casually, then did a double take when he realized what time it was.

"Sorry, Chane, I've got to go," he said, getting up and putting his suit coat on. "I'm late for an appointment that _I _set up." Vino laughed to himself as he placed a kiss on Chane's cheek and exited the restaurant. _'Oh well,' _he thought, strolling down the sidewalk leisurely. _'So it'll give them a little more alone time together. Who says that's a bad thing?'_

Still grinning, he walked through the coffee shop door, 40 minutes later than he'd arranged.

Vino caught sight of his friends and walked over to their table, smiling in amusement when they didn't notice. He rolled his eyes when he noticed Firo was still wearing that same hat. After a few more minutes, he decided to interrupt, and stepped forward, clearing his throat.

To Vino's surprise, and almost embarrassment, Firo burst out laughing when he saw him, and Luck was smiling more than he'd ever seen him.

"Hey, Luck. Firo."

Luck tipped his hat in greeting, and moved over in the booth so Vino could sit down, as Firo was laughing too hard to do anything.

"Hi, Vino. How've you been?" Luck asked, as they waited for Firo to calm down.

"Ah, pretty good. Better now that I'm back here. And you?"

Luck nodded. "It's been alright."

"You done, Firo?" Vino asked, since his laughter had stopped.

Firo nodded, a grin still on his features.

"So why have you-" Luck broke off as Vino held up a finger to stop him.

"I'll tell you in a minute." He proceeded to get up and walk over to the counter, presumably to order something. Vino kept one eye trained on his two friends as he ordered a cup of coffee. Firo was saying something in his funny, innocent way, and Luck was listening intently, smiling (and rather fondly, Vino noted).

He thanked the waitress and walked back to the booth, deciding that Firo and Luck needed some help in figuring out the obvious. And he had just the plan.


	2. The Bargain

**Author's Note: Sorry it kind of took me a while to update. My laptop was broken, and in the process all my files and programs were erased... *sweat drop* Anyway, this is chapter two. Sorry if my characterization got a bit more rubbish towards the end...**

_The Bargain_

"So? Why are we here?" Firo asked, playing with the brim of his hat.

"Not that we aren't thrilled to see you, of course," Luck added.

Vino chuckled, unsure whether or not Luck was being sarcastic. That was one of the problems with Luck; you could never really tell. He always had that same, calm expression. Unless he was with Firo, Vino reminded himself. If Luck was with Firo, he had a 90 percent more chance of actually smiling.

Sitting back in his seat, Vino took a calm sip of his coffee while deciding how to explain. Luck and Firo waited patiently, having known their friend for quite a long time.

"So I need your help with something."

Luck and Firo exchanged a look.

Chuckling to himself, Vino continued. "I have this plan in mind, but the only way it'll work is if you two come along."

Another look passed between the two.

"Exactly what sort of plan did you have in mind, Vino?" Luck asked passively.

Vino grinned. "You don't get to know." This statement caused Firo to squirm in his seat a little. "That's part of the fun, see?"

Luck raised an eyebrow. "I do see."

Firo let out a half-gasp, half-protest. "But wha-"

"Relax, Firo," Vino said. "I won't leave you _completely _in the dark."

Firo leaned back in his seat a little, put slightly more at ease.

"It involves a job in Sacramento. See, there's a few fellows that don't quite believe in the Rail Tracer. I have to fix that." Vino grinned, looking a bit more like a madman than a sociopath. "We'd be travelling by train, of course."

"Naturally," Luck whispered, taking a sip of his long-cold coffee.

"Say, um, how exactly did you find out about these guys?" Firo inquired nervously.

"Oh, they're just friends of a friend," Vino dismissed airily.

Luck's and Firo's eyes met once again, both thinking the same thing: They were the only 'friends' Vino had.

...

An hour and a plate of biscuits later, and Vino _almost _had their consent.

"But Vino, _why_ do you need us?" Firo complained, in almost a whiny voice. "You can do it fine by yourself."

"Firo's got a point, Vino," Luck gave his input quietly.

Vino just smiled. "Yeah. I know. I probably could handle it. I need you for moral support."

Both Luck and Firo found the idea ludicrous. But only Luck had the composure not to show it.

"Moral support?" Firo laughed. "The Rail Tracer needs moral support?"

Smiling wryly, Vino confessed. "Alright, you got me. I just made that up."

Luck raised an eyebrow. "No kidding."

"Yeah, okay," Vino smiled. "Can you guys just trust me, though? I need your help in this."

Firo looked uncomfortable, and Luck could tell.

"I don't know, Vino. I know we're friends and all, but..."

"Here. How about I make you a deal?"

Luck leaned forward, interested. "What kind of deal?"

"The kind that involves a compromise." Vino sat back, a pleased smile on his face.

"Alright, keep going," Luck pressed.

Now that he had Luck's attention, Vino took his own sweet time announcing his idea. "If you two go with me, just this once, I will promise you three things in return. I swear I'll never try to drag you into something involving the Rail Tracer ever again, and you will never _hear _of the Rail Tracer. You'll hear from Vino, but not the Rail Tracer." Vino paused, a grin lighting up his features. "And I won't try to pull anything over on you exposing your condition. Or, putting that another way, I won't let you get killed."

Luck narrowed his eyes. "That's two."

Vino smirked. "Caught that, did you? Alright. The third thing, I admit, is a little more, fanciful, to put it gently."

For the entirety of Vino's promises, Firo had sat quiet and still. Now, unable to contain himself, he made a little noise of distress. Luck immediately whirled to look at him.

"Firo, are you alright? You seem a bit pale."

Firo just nodded, indeed rather pasty. "I'm okay," he squeaked out.

Luck, maintaining one cautious eye trained on his friend, turned back to Vino. "And when you say fanciful..."

Smirking, Vino replied, "I mean something of my own imagination that would be beneficial to you guys."

"I see." Glancing at Firo again, Luck could tell that he wasn't going to hold up much longer from whatever it was that was bothering him. "Well, Vino." He sighed slightly, before saying, "You've got a deal."


	3. Bring Him Home

**Author's Note: ****Well, this chapter doesn't have much of a point. Like, at all. And it's really short. *blush* I just felt the need to post something. I swear the next one will be super long! And with an actual _point_ too! **

_Bring Him Home_

"Firo, you sure you're alright?" Luck asked, poised on the edge of the couch.

After complying to Vino's strange demands, Luck had taken Firo home, concerned for his friend's health. Upon arriving at his house, Firo had flopped onto the couch and passed out. Luck had decided to wait for him to wake up before deciding whether to leave or stay.

"Yeah, sorry," Firo smiled weakly. He rolled over and was puzzled when he couldn't free his arm.

Luck, smiling fondly, adjusted the blanket. "You positive you don't want me to stay?"

Firo nodded. "You get home. Sorry to have kept you so long." The two heard the front door closing in the hall.

Luck got up, nodding. "It was no problem at all, Firo." He put his hat back on his head and swept out of the room, side stepping a confused Ennis. As he went down the hall, he heard her anxious queries and his reassuring replies.

He closed the front door behind him, and leaned his head back, staring into the sky. The first few drops of a rainstorm dripped onto his face, and Luck searched the sky with his eyes, unsure what he was looking for. Luck didn't move for at least ten minutes, but was finally forced to once the rain started coming down harder. Reluctantly and with a dread in his step, Luck headed for the Gandor mansion.

...

Vino paused, looking at his reflection thoughtfully. When he recalled the encounter, he supposed it could've gone a bit smoother.

He made a face, deciding he didn't like how he looked in red. Vino turned to try a different suit on.

Yes, but when he thought about it, he didn't handle it very smoothly at all. _'I wonder what made Firo so upset, though,' _he thought, slipping on a baby blue tuxedo. Almost as soon as it was on, he took it off. Returning the suits to their hooks, he mulled the question over some more.

Vino decided that if the answer wasn't immediately evident to him, he wasn't going to worry about it. Besides, he had a plan to execute.

...

Firo shivered under the covers and mentally swore. He had on two sweaters, two pairs of socks, the thickest pants he had, and was being smothered by a very thick blanket, and he was still cold. The first thing running through his mind was how on earth he'd gotten this cold. And the second thing was how much of an idiot he'd been at their meeting.

He groaned at the headache pulsing in his head, which made everything a lot worse than it was. Wondering idly what time it was, he settled back into a groggy half-conscious state before falling asleep once more.


	4. Building the Barricade

_**Author's Note: **_**First off, I would like to say it is much longer than usual, and also that I'm proud of posting this so soon. *dances happily* So forgive me if the quality is rather rubbish...  
****Second, I hope you enjoy it. I hope that my characterization was accurate, as I haven't really done much with Nice and Jacuzzi before...  
Third, I am not an expert on bombs. So I'm very sorry if I'm horribly inaccurate with whatever I wrote...****  
And fourth! There is a pattern to all my chapter titles (as well as the story title). It would make me all kinds of happy if anyone knew what it was... After this chapter title, though, I would assume it'd be a bit obvious, but then again, I'm me.  
But enough of my rambling. Please read and review~!**

_Building the Barricade_

Nice had all but forgotten the Pussyfoot incident the day that her most confusing order came. She was in the basement of an abandoned warehouse testing her most recent explosives when Nick came running up to her, a worried expression on his face.

Worried expressions were the bane of Nice's existence. Perhaps because she saw them all the time on Jacuzzi, she'd grown used to them. But on anyone else's face, they felt out of place. As if they definitely shouldn't be there. As if the person was stealing something from Jacuzzi.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Nice addressed Nick, not taking her eyes from the bomb in her hand. "What's up?"

"Hey, Boss. Um, there's this weird guy at the door. Said he has an order for you."

Nice looked up in mild surprise. "Did he?" She mulled over the information in her head before saying, "I'll come check him out. I didn't order anything."

"Boss-"

Nice didn't give Nick a chance to finish his thought. She threw the cherry bomb over her shoulder, forcing him to catch it or risk it exploding. It didn't occur to her to mention that it wasn't rigged.

She skipped up the steps rather cheerfully, almost laughing as she felt Nick's glare on her back. He'd complain later about the bomb, Nice knew.

As she emerged onto the first floor of the warehouse, she saw the "weird guy" Nick had mentioned in the entrance, formerly used as a loading dock. Nice narrowed her eyes. The guy's appearance didn't help on top of the fact he'd already lied about who he was. He had red hair, a sketchy looking trench coat, and was lazily looking around the warehouse as if he owned the place. Which, Nice supposed, he might have, if it'd been in any state of use.

"Hey," Nice called out to the guy. In hindsight, she supposed that that wasn't really the smartest idea in the world, but if worst came to worst, she did have a modified M26A2 in her back pocket.

As she approached him, she took in his features. He wasn't altogether handsome, but she had a nagging suspicion she'd seen his face somewhere before... Nice couldn't place it exactly, but something about his eyes...

"Hi, nice to meet you," he said, holding out a hand.

Nice shook it absently, still trying to place where she could've run into him.

"Well, I'm Vino."

"Nice," she stated simply.

Vino nodded, almost as if he knew her already. Which reminded her- why was this lying bastard here?

"So. You said you had an order?" Nice asked, rather coldly. She folded her arms across her chest, deciding that looking ominous was probably a good thing.

The man smiled at her. And there was something about his smile... It reminded Nice of something. It seemed familiar...

"Yeah. More accurately, I wish to order _from_ you."

Nice blinked in surprise. "You... want to buy bombs?" His statement in itself was strange. In the business of producing and selling illegal merchandise, you didn't often come across people who blatantly told you their name. No, this was a careful business. Everything was handled on tiptoes. No one wanted their name too closely associated with contraband. And certainly no one ever showed up to claim it in person.

"Yes, to put it blatantly." Vino's smile was starting to unsettle her.

Nice's one good eye narrowed. Warily, she asked, "What is it that you want?"

"Oh, I was just hoping to look around and see what you have 'in stock'. I need them by tonight, you see." His aloof manner, and the way in which he spoke put her on guard. No one talked this casually about bombs; not even she did.

To Nice, bombs were something special. She cherished everything about them. And she especially loved the results. There was nothing better than watching a bomb explode, and seeing the powerful flames consuming everything in their path. It was merciless, but it was also beautiful. And it came in second only to Jacuzzi.

Thinking of Jacuzzi, Nice wondered if she should call him down from the second floor to talk over this so called "order." Usually Nice was the one who manufactured the bombs, and Jacuzzi took care of the selling. But this Vino was a different story, and Nice wanted to keep an eye on him.

"So what do you have?" Vino was starting to annoy her. He talked as if he owned the world, as if everything revolved around him. Nice did not appreciate it.

"Take a look," she said, in a colder voice than she'd intended to.

Vino began walking around the warehouse, observing her lovely bombs. He picked up her custom hand grenade and tossed it up and down with his right hand, still with that unsettling grin on his face.

"What's its kill radius?" he asked casually, assessing its weight.

"5.4 metres," Nice replied quietly, wishing that he'd stop handling her precious bomb.

"Not bad," Vino said, before putting it down and moving on to an MK3. He fiddled around with it, causing Nice great discomfort. After a few seconds, he finally voiced his thoughts. "I'm not really looking for big damage. Just enough firepower to make things interesting." Vino's eyes glistened with something comparable to maniac glee, and Nice almost flinched away.

"Well, if you're not interested in big damage, I have a modified smoke grenade that might be just the thing." Nice led him over to the opposite corner of the warehouse, pulling out a spherical bomb with a diameter of about three inches.

Vino took it in his hand, flipping it lightly, and examining it from all angles. "It's just the right size, and not too heavy..."

Nice smiled, taking pride in the bomb. "It releases a cloud of thick grey smoke upon heavy impact with something solid. It also doubles as an incendiary grenade, as it causes a small explosion. The flames consume the grey smoke, and die out once it's all gone."

Grinning, Vino threw it up in the air, and caught it. "Perfect. I'll take as many as you have."

Nice blinked in surprise, having been caught off guard by his remark. "All of them?"

He nodded, his smile surpassing concerning and rising straight up to creepy. Nice, holding back a shiver, turned slowly to the boxes and began packing them up, wondering what he might have in store.

A sudden movement behind her caused Nice to turn around, one hand already reaching for the bomb in her back pocket. Vino smiled at her, an action that was supposed to relax her, she guessed. It didn't. He held up his hands in mock surrender, a wallet in his right.

Nice relaxed a bit, some of the tension leaving her body, her hand moving away from the bomb for the time being.

"I owe you money for these, don't I?" Vino said nicely, rifling through his wallet. "Exactly how much?"

Nice tilted her head, pondering the question. How much? Usually Jacuzzi handled these things.

She mentally calculated the number of bombs, and estimated their price based on how much time she put into their production, and the parts needed. Since there were about 20 smoke grenades per box, Nice guessed the price to be around 4,000 dollars. She winced.

"Roughly four thousand dollars," she told him, and moved to keep packing up the boxes, though she doubted he had that much cash. To her utter astonishment, however, he forked over a great wad of bills, not even flinching as he relinquished them.

"One more thing," Vino said, as if only remembering. "Could you ship these to Grand Central Terminal, and mark them for the 7 o'clock morning train to Sacramento?"

Nice stared at him, trying hard to mask her shock. Was he really asking her to ship five crates of explosives to a widely known train station? But to her surprise, she found herself agreeing.

"Wonderful, thank you." He handed her another, much smaller wad. "That's for your troubles."

Nice nodded, putting the money in her front pocket. She watched him cross the warehouse to exit the way he came in, taking the air of superiority with him. After he disappeared through the doorway, Nice turned back to finish taping the boxes and marking them for their destination.

...

Vino smirked to himself as he walked along the street. Hands in his pockets, he slowly ambled down the sidewalk to his new destination. His plans were so close to succeeding... Why wouldn't they? The world was his, after all. Of course it should do things his way.

He waltzed through the door of the apartment building, spirits soaring. Vino made his way up the stairs to the correct apartment, and gave a light knock on the door.

"Ehh, Isaac!" he heard from inside.

"Nandai, Miria?" came another shout, this one more distant.

"There's some guy at the door!"

"Woah, really? Well, open it!"

The door swung open to reveal a grinning blonde girl. Vino smiled, and said, "Hi, there! Are you Miria Harvent?"

"Isaac! He knows my name!" Miria yelled, a hint of fear in her voice. She backed away from the door uncertainly. A brown-haired man came up behind her. He looked Vino up and down, a slight crease forming on his forehead as he concentrated, trying to place the face that looked so familiar.

"You must be Isaac. Hello," Vino greeted smoothly, a smile on his face. He extended a hand, which Isaac shook rather hesitantly.

"No need to worry. I'm only here to deliver a package." Vino produced the rectangular shaped parcel from behind his back, and handed it to the couple. On the brown wrapping paper was printed their names and address.

"Eh! Package?" Miria cried eagerly. She began to open it before Isaac interrupted her.

"Neh, Miria. Don't be rude. We should properly thank the man!" he admonished her, the usual grin back on his lips.

The two turned back to Vino, and chorused "Thank you!" in unison.

Vino smiled, replying, "No problem at all. Enjoy the gift." He turned to go back down the stairs, and the couple closed the door behind him.

Descending the stairs, a smirk formed on his face. Only one more thing to do...

...

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Trouble is back!" Ladd burst through the double doors into what used to be his uncle's study. He sat down in the elaborate leather chair, and propped his feet up on the desk leisurely, scanning over the paper in his hand once again. He was still grinning madly when he finished.

"Hey, boys, get in here!" he yelled.

A bunch of thugs filed into the study, waiting for further instruction.

Laughing, Ladd announced, "Boys, we're going on a train!"

He jumped out of his seat and almost did a dance around the room, finally exiting in search of his machine guns. His 'boys' hadn't seen him in such good spirit for months; practically skipping down the hallway, Ladd yelled, "I'm gonna kill, I'm gonna kill, I'm gonna kill 'im!"

...

It was late in the night, and Nice was peacefully lying in bed with Jacuzzi at her side. Though it was nearly midnight, and she'd had a long day, Nice still couldn't fall completely asleep. There was just one thing nagging at her thoughts...

She was finally beginning to drift into the clutches of sleep when she at last remembered what her mind had been so desperately trying to recover. Sitting straight up in bed, with an expression almost relatable to a look of horror, she remembered why Vino looked so familiar to her.

Nice swore. She'd just sold and shipped off bombs for the Rail Tracer.

"Jacuzzi," she whispered, shaking him awake.

"Mm? W-what's the matter, Nice?" he asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

Face pale, Nice replied, "Jacuzzi, I messed up. We have to go on a train tomorrow."

Now wide awake, he sat up. Nice didn't often admit to making mistakes. "W-why? What d-did you do?" Jacuzzi said, tears starting to form already. Nice knew that he remembered the Pussyfoot better than she did.

"I kind of sold bombs to the Rail Tracer," she admitted.

"T-the Rail Tracer!" Jacuzzi wailed. "Nice! W-what're we gonna do? H-he's gonna k-kill us all!"

Nice's mouth was set in a grim line. "Jacuzzi, we have to go on that train tomorrow and get my bombs back. He could cause a lot of damage with those."

Tears continued streaming down Jacuzzi's cheeks, but he managed to stammer out, "A-alright, Nice. W-we'll stop him."


	5. At the Barricade

**Author's Note: Okay, I've got a few things to say. First, I'm super sorry this is so late! *cries* I really have no excuse, honestly. But it's been forever, and I feel horrible.  
****Second, I just realized that I've completely forgotten to do disclaimers for like, everything I've ever posted. *face palm* So, obviously, I don't own Baccano! or any of its characters, because if I did, there'd be a whole lot more episodes, and this would actually be happening.  
****And third, I have made a Baccano! fansite, but it's kind of dying from lack of members. So, if you'd just like to take a peek at that, I'd love you forever. *smile* It's baccano[dot]webs[dot]com. With actual dots, obviously. Thank you and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

_At the Barricade_

It was ten to five in the morning, and the world was tinted gray. Everything was lighted with a bleak colour, clouds obscuring the sky.

Luck walked down the street so lost in thought, he could've still been half-asleep. He absent-mindedly cast a look over his shoulder to see if Vino was still following him. Once he'd assured himself that his companion was there, Luck resumed his slow amble down the sidewalk.

They arrived at Firo's front door at exactly five o'clock. Luck waited patiently for the door to open, after knocking twice. Firo had once said he could barge in at any time he liked. But even at reasonable visiting hours, Luck still preferred to observe the niceties.

The door opened and Luck found himself looking at Ennis. She nodded and motioned him inside, well accustomed to his visits, and having been informed of the day's proceedings.

She seemed hesitant as to what to do with Vino, so he made it easier by opting to wait outside, and nodding to Luck to go on.

Luck proceeded down the hallway to Firo's room, vaguely wondering if Firo had never told Ennis about Vino, or if she just hadn't known him on sight.

He knocked lightly on Firo's bedroom door before entering. It was still completely dark, so Luck turned on the lamp farthest from Firo's bed, so the light wouldn't shock him.

Firo moaned and threw an arm over his eyes.

Luck, smiling to himself, moved over to the bed and put a hand on Firo's arm turned shield.

"Firo, you need to wake up. We have a train to catch."

At the sound of Luck's voice, Firo's eyes flew open, and he sat up straight, stammering an apology. Avoiding his friend's gaze, he muttered, "Sorry, Luck. Just give me a minute to get dressed." The end of his sentence trailed off in a cough.

Luck's normally impassive face creased with worry. "Firo, are you alright?"

Firo smiled weakly. "Oh yeah. Just feeling a bit under the weather. Give me a minute to change, would ya, Luck?"

Luck nodded and stepped out into the hall to wait.

In the room, Firo half fell out of bed. He clumsily pulled his trousers on, his hands shaking a little bit from the cold. While combing his room for a fresh shirt, he tried not to think about his wake-up call, lest he should start blushing.

Firo stumbled out of the room and closed the door behind him, still putting one arm through his suit coat. "Sorry," he muttered.

Luck put one arm out reflexively to steady him, but drew it back quickly. "It's alright; we've got plenty of time."

The two walked in awkward silence down the hall to the front door.

"You should eat something before we leave," Luck reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Firo said, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. He stepped into the small kitchen to see a plate of scrambled eggs already waiting for him. "Thanks, Ennis!" he called to the house, then started scarfing the eggs down.

Luck smiled slightly at his friend's antics and again reminded him of their surplus of time. Firo ignored him and finished gulping down the eggs.

"Well, I'm ready to go," he grinned.

Luck smiled, and would have rolled his eyes if it hadn't been extremely out of character.

"Ennis! I'm leaving," Firo yelled, as they made the short trip to the front door. When there was no response, he hesitated. "Ennis?" Still receiving no answer, he turned to Luck, puzzled. "You saw her on your way in, right? Was she leaving?"

Luck raised an eyebrow. "I saw her; she let me in. Though I'm not sure if she was leaving."

Firo's brow furrowed. "I don't know why she would leave without saying goodbye."

Luck shrugged. It wasn't that he didn't care for Ennis, but he wasn't too particularly concerned about her whereabouts. Or her well-being, for that matter.

Firo looked uncertain, and was on the verge of asking Luck what he should do when he started coughing rather violently. He put a hand on the wall to steady himself. Once it subsided, he, rather exasperatedly, asked Luck, "Should we be going? It wouldn't be fair to Vino if we missed his train."

Luck narrowed his eyes. He had a fairly good idea of what was running through Vino's mind at the moment, and none of it was the promptness with which they arrived at the train.

"Are you sure you're up to travelling, Firo?" Luck asked instead.

Firo nodded, trying to wave off his concern. "Positive." Casting one last confused look around the house, Firo sighed. "I suppose I can always send Ennis a letter."

Luck nodded, deciding against voicing his opinion.

They stepped out of the house to find Vino lounging against the wall lazily, hands in his pockets. He grinned when he saw them.

"Ready to go, then?"

Both nodded, feeling a bit apprehensive about Vino's sudden good mood. Vino smiled at them, and started off in the direction of Grand Central Terminal.

...

Firo and Luck decided against asking why they walked there, and followed Vino silently into the maze of Grand Central. Vino steered them effortlessly through the crowds with the experience of someone who's spent a lot of time in train stations.

They were on the train ten minutes prior to the scheduled departure time, allowing Vino plenty of time to ascertain whether everything was to his liking.

When he was finally satisfied, he joined Luck and Firo in their relatively small room. Sinking down into an armchair, he propped his hands behind his head and blissfully closed his eyes. A peaceful smile was spread on his face.

Luck and Firo exchanged a nervous glance. Vino in a good mood wasn't necessarily a good thing.

...

"Nice, we've got five minutes!" Jacuzzi cried, panicking.

"I know, Jacuzzi, I'm getting the tickets," she called back, handing over the money. "Thank you," she said hurriedly, and half walked, half ran to where Jacuzzi stood on the platform.

"Let's go," she muttered, handing him a ticket. The two hurried to the train, Nice looking it over to determine where the baggage cars were.

"Jacuzzi, this way." She steered him down the hallway towards the end of the train. "Oh, here is fine," Nice shrugged, and entered the room. "Alright, we're pretty close to the baggage cars. We'll just go and get my bombs back once we've left the station."

...

Ladd bounced around the room excitedly. "Hey, hey, hey! I wonder when that bastard'll show himself!"

He grinned at Lua, who stood uncomfortably in the centre of the room, once again finding herself in a flowing white dress. Ladd himself was wearing the same white suit he'd worn on the Pussyfoot, cleaned and showing no trace of blood. Of course, Ladd hoped to fix that soon.

...

At exactly seven o'clock, Chane watched the train depart from the station. She stood a little off to the side, her left hand just brushing the side of a pillar. Her right hand felt strangely empty without the reassuring feeling of her knife's handle there. Of course, she still had them with her. They were just secured in her leather pouch, out of sight of the public.

She stared after the train, a million thoughts racing through her mind, none of them able to be voiced. Not that she had anyone to voice them to. The only person she had was speeding away on that train. Vino.

Chane sighed, and turned away from the now empty station. As she left Grand Central, there was only one thing on her mind.

What was Vino planning?

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**A/N:**** Hi! I hope you enjoyed that sorry excuse for a chapter... But you see those gorgeous blue link-y letters? Click 'em! Yeah, yeah, that'd be great. Click 'em and tell me what you thought! *grin* Because honestly, reviews make the world go 'round. **


	6. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Oh gosh, I'm so so sorry this is so late. I'm kind of in the middle of midyear exams, so I haven't had much time to write this chapter... But it's the longest chapter so far, so I hope that makes up for it. And I would like to thank everyone who has added this story to their favourites list, or put it on Story Alert. You're honestly the only reason I'm still writing it... *sheepish* So, I hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not, in any way, shape, or form, own Baccano! or any of the characters. **

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_Empty Chairs at Empty Tables_

Luck sighed and drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair, staring at the wall. It had been over an hour now, and Vino still hadn't returned from wherever he'd run off to. And now he was starting to have doubts. He glanced up for a moment as Firo re-entered the room, with a plate full of— something.

"Firo, what is that?"

Firo looked at him. "It's- it's food," he said, confused. He looked back down at his plate, then again at Luck.

Luck raised an eyebrow, and walked over to him. "That... is clearly inedible." He turned away and walked to their window, peering out. "Please don't tell me you were going to eat that," he said, as he noticed Firo looking at the plate in dismay.

"Well-"

At that point, Vino barged in with a disturbingly large grin on his face. He glanced at Firo's plate for a millisecond, then dramatically announced, "Toss it, Firo! We're eating _much _better than that!"

Both were wary at this excitable Vino.

Luck sighed, and asked, "What do you mean, Vino?"

Vino just kept grinning ear to ear. "Oh, you'll see. You'll see later. For now, eat this." He tossed a bag at them, which landed neatly on the armchair Luck had previously been occupying. "I'll come back to pick you boys up later!" And he was gone out the door.

Firo looked hesitantly at the bag, then at Luck. Luck raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the bag. Firo sighed and edged cautiously towards it.

At this point, neither of them would've been surprised to find a bomb inside. Or some strange device designed to detonate the moment one of them touched the bag.

He peeked in cautiously, handling it with only his thumb and forefinger. Firo sighed in relief, and announced, "It's only a few pastries."

Luck nodded and turned back to the window, musing to himself. _"I wonder what's got Vino so worked up...?"_

...

Vino grinned, happily going down the hallway. It was so close to working... He just had to avoid him for a few more hours. Once he'd gotten Luck and Firo to lunch, then his plan could be blown into full action.

On a whim, he decided to visit the conductor. It'd been quite a few months since he'd last been a conductor, and he was curious. As Vino started in the opposite direction, his eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a flash of dirty blonde hair before it disappeared into a room.

Deciding to ignore it for the time being, he continued on his new course to the conductor.

...

"Nice! T-that was really close." Jacuzzi was trembling a little as Nice stood with her back to the door.

"I know," she nodded, waiting for her heart to return to its normal beat. "I'll have to be a bit more cautious." Nice stepped away from the door and over to the chair, where the leather bag she'd placed there earlier rested. "Jacuzzi, what time is-"

"W-we've still got some time, Nice," Jacuzzi replied, used to the question. She sighed and sank down into the chair, after moving the bag to the ground gingerly.

Jacuzzi took the armchair next to her. "W-we'll do it, Nice. Don't worry."

She looked up at him, and he gave a reassuring smile. It was a nervous one, but it was still a smile.

...

"How long's he gonna keep us in here?" Firo whined, curled up in the armchair.

Vino had poked his head in a few minutes after dropping off the bag of sweets, and informed them to stay in the room. As if that wasn't warning enough, he locked the door behind him.

And Firo's fever was starting to come back. Luck was worried, and stared at his friend for a few minutes, deciding what to do. He stepped cautiously over to Firo, and awkwardly put his hand on Firo's forehead. It felt burning hot.

Firo didn't mention Luck's touch, but shivered. "Luck, have you got any blankets? I'm really cold..."

Luck tried not to show it, but he was alarmed. He cast a look around the room, but spotted no blankets or covers that he could use. Shrugging out of his suit coat, he draped it around his friend's shoulders, and walked over to try the door again.

He sighed in frustration when the knob still wouldn't turn. Luck glanced at Firo. He needed something—some sort of treatment, but what? There wasn't much he could do, and certainly nothing from inside this room. He paced restlessly around the small compartment, deciding that he'd wait to see if Vino came back before doing anything rash.

...

Vino had found nothing of interest with the conductor, and had resumed traipsing down the halls, rather bored. The excitement couldn't start for at least another two hours. He'd decided to check in on Firo and Luck when he heard a noise.

A noise that could mean only one thing.

...

"Isaac!"

"Nandai, Miria?"

"I think we might be in trouble!" Miria sighed, staring through the broken window.

Isaac peered through the hole in the glass, nodding, one hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. "Ah, that we might be."

"Hmm..." Miria said, imitating Isaac.

There was a knock on their door, and both looked up, slightly alarmed. Isaac stood up straight, and a mischievous expression crossed his face. "They'll never get it out of me! Got that, Miria?" He gave her a wink.

"Yeah, yeah!" Miria replied, grinning. "Me either!"

They swung the door open to reveal a curious Vino.

Isaac squinted at him. "Aren't you the man that delivered the package to us?" he asked.

Miria nodded. "He looks the same, Isaac."

Vino grinned. "Indeed I am! Glad you remember me!" He stepped into their compartment without waiting for an invitation. Seeing the broken window, he smiled to himself. "Whoa, what happened here?" he said, whirling around and putting on an expression of worry.

Isaac stiffened, and cried, "You'll never get it out of me!"

"Yeah, never!" Miria echoed.

Vino raised an eyebrow. "Really, now?" He turned back to the window, and ran a finger along the edge of the break. "It almost looks like someone hurled something through it..." From the corner of his eye, he saw the duo exchange a nervous glance. "Ah, well," he sighed. "What's done is done, I'm sure." Whirling around, he stretched his arms. "Have a lovely trip," Vino smiled, and departed, leaving Isaac and Miria staring at each other in wonder.

...

"_I swear, if he doesn't show up soon..."_

Luck's reverie was broken by Firo coughing his name. He immediately rushed over to him. Luck had pushed together two of the armchairs in an attempt at a makeshift bed. Firo was curled up in the awkward space, clutching Luck's suit jacket around him, and shivering greatly.

Luck cursed himself for not being more adamant with him that morning. He could've convinced Firo to stay home, and then they wouldn't be in this mess. Of course, it was really all Vino's fault, but Luck overlooked that. Not that he wouldn't yell at him first chance he got.

"It's all right, Firo, I'm here," he murmured, kneeling down to be at eye level with the boy. Luck put a hand to Firo's forehead, and jerked it back when it was startling cool. "Firo? Can you hear me?"

Firo stirred a little, and shuffled closer to Luck's voice. "Luck?" he whispered hoarsely.

Luck's brow creased with worry. "Firo, are you okay?" The temperature of Firo's forehead was too cold for it to be a fever, Luck was almost positive. In fact, from the state of his friend's consciousness, Luck was starting to doubt if it was from an illness at all...

Luck's head snapped up, and he caught sight of a flash of red in the window. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he was opening the window in a flash, staring upward. He called out into the wind, "Claire Stanfield, I want you in this room in the next few minutes, or you're a dead man." Luck kept his voice even as usual, but there was a conviction in it that Vino knew perfectly well.

Smirking from his place on top of the train, the Rail Tracer lay flat on his stomach, having been peeking through the window at his two friends. Vino casually picked himself up, traipsed back along the roof to the end of the train car, and dropped himself down. He sauntered back to his room wondering why it'd taken Luck this long to figure it out.

As soon as he stepped foot into the compartment, he was greeted with a glare that could've sent the most resilient men fleeing for cover.

"Hey, Luck," Vino greeted evenly, after a small flinch.

"Give it here, Vino," Luck said coldly.

Vino sighed and tossed him a small vial. "You know, I'm a bit surprised it took you this long, Luck," he smiled.

Luck sent him another glare, but kneeled down next to Firo. "Hey, Firo, look at me." Firo shifted his head a little. "You have to drink this, all right?" Sighing, Luck supported Firo's head, and tipped the vial into his mouth, taking care so that he wouldn't choke.

Once it was done, Firo coughed, and whispered, "That was awful."

Luck smiled a little. "You'll feel better in a little bit."

He stood up and nearly pushed Vino out of the room.

After gently closing the door behind him, so as not to disturb Firo, Luck rounded on Vino. "_What_ was that? You could've killed him, Vino! This is low, even for you." Luck's voice seeped with anger, and he was dangerously close to Vino.

"Oh, I know what I was doing. Relax." Vino waved his worries away.

"I can't, Vino. For one thing, it could have gone so wrong. And for a second, I'm not even sure how you obtained something like that," Luck hissed. They stopped their conversation for a moment as another passenger passed by.

"But Luck, you figured it out, and Firo will be better in no time!" Grinning, Vino added, "Besides, soon you guys will be heading off to lunch. And Luck, if for some reason you _didn't_ figure it out, I still would've given the vial to Firo. He is a friend, after all."

Luck sighed. He knew there was no point in arguing with him. "Vino, if you ever try something like that again...If you _ever_ put Firo in harm's way again, I will personally deal with you." Vino raised an eyebrow, and Luck glared at him. After a few minutes of this hostile eye contact, Vino shrugged.

"Fine by me. Protect your friend," he grinned.

It was Luck's turn to be suspicious as he watched Vino go back inside the room. Luck followed on his heels immediately.

...

Ladd was getting impatient. Really impatient.

Lua was sitting in her chair, looking pretty and almost comfortable. Ladd was pacing around the room, muttering under his breath about a "lying little bastard".

He checked his watch, and exhaled forcefully. "I'm going out!" he finally shouted. Ladd stomped over to the door, then hesitated. He turned around, smiling at Lua, and tossed his watch to her. "Lua, keep an eye on the time, would ya?" Then he was gone out the door.

Ladd looked around, but he heard nothing. No gunshots, no yelling, no nothing. He was disappointed.

"Little coward," he grumbled, then started walking down the aisle. Ladd was going to find him, and he was going to fight him. And Ladd was going to kill him. Because that's what Ladd did.

...

Czeslaw smiled when he saw him. If he was here, that meant someone else was there. Which meant something interesting would happen.

To be honest, Czeslaw Meyer was bored. Well, he was getting there. He'd been alive for over 200 years, and he was starting to get bored of the world. As a kid, he couldn't do much travelling outside of the United States, not without an adult as an escort.

So when Czes saw Ladd going down the hallway, it sparked a flame in him. He remembered the Pussyfoot just as well as anyone, and if Ladd Russo on a train was any indication, there was going to be some excitement on board.

...

Vino peeked out the door as soon as someone had gone by. He ducked back inside just as quickly. Luck raised an eyebrow at him, but Vino smiled innocently. "Oh, nothing interesting out there."

Luck nodded and looked away. He still hadn't forgiven Vino. He watched Firo sleep curled up in the armchair. He'd stopped shivering, and he wasn't thrashing about. His temperature also seemed relatively normal.

Vino sighed and checked his watch. It was still one hour to go.

Suddenly remembering the flash of blonde he'd seen earlier, a smile spread back onto his face. "Changed my mind, I'm going out!" With a flourish, he grabbed the key and headed for the door.

Luck stepped over to him in an instant. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, relax, Gandor. Firo's fine, and I don't have any more tricks up my sleeve. You do still have to wait here, though."

Narrowing his eyes, Luck responded, "Why, Vino? Why exactly do you need to lock us in here?"

Vino grinned at him. "It's all in good fun, you know. Just so you don't go wandering off." And he slipped through the door. Luck sighed as he heard the key turn in the lock. There was just no getting through to him. Not even if you held a gun to his head.

He turned around and leaned one shoulder against the wall. Maybe Firo would wake up soon, and then they could talk...

...

Vino walked along the roof confidently, only slightly put off balance by the wind. Not that he cared, or paid any mind to the danger he was in. In his mind, he was invincible.

He vaguely wondered if travelling by day was a bad idea. Certainly, it made things more fun—he had to make more of an effort to keep out of sight. But at the same time, plotting and watching things unfold at night was much more exciting. It was more mysterious, all the shadows and the dark. Vino kept walking, putting these thoughts out of mind. They were already here, anyways.

Glancing over the edge of the train, he noticed an open window. Curious, he decided to see for himself what it was. Vino nimbly clambered down the side and neatly slipped through the window. He was surprised to find himself in the baggage car.

"_Who would sneak into the baggage..."_

Vino's thought trailed off as he remembered a certain person from the Pussyfoot. He grinned. Was it really going to get even more interesting?

He reached out, and pretended to stumble through the dimly lit car, crashing into suitcases and knocking over boxes. Through his ruckus, he heard a nervous exhale of breath. Vino smiled to himself. Oh yes. It was definitely going to get that more interesting.

After he'd had his fill, Vino blundered through the rest of the baggage car, and leaned against the wall outside. He stared at the side of the next car for a few minutes before remembering he'd originally had a destination in mind. The smile fell back on his lips, and he silently climbed back on to the roof. He continued to the last baggage car, and dropped to the door.

Vino swiftly opened it, and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him, deciding it wouldn't be good for the other baggage car occupant to find him.

He waited for a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the dark. Once he'd gotten accustomed to the dim light, Vino's eyes combed the inside of the car. Finally spotting a grouping of five crates, he made his way over to them.

Vino forced one of the lids open, and smiled when he saw the bombs were still there. He tilted his head to the side, wondering how best to go about the next part. Before he decided, he checked the new watch he'd gotten before they left, and smirked when he saw the time.

He put the top of the crate back on, and whispered, "I'll be back for you later."

...

Firo woke up groggily, and pushed himself into a sitting position. Luck immediately turned from his stance at the window.

"Hey, Firo. How you feeling?"

Firo sighed and put a hand to his head. "A lot better, but I've still got a headache."

Luck sighed in relief. "That might be from the stuff I gave you. But I'm glad it worked." He gave Firo a small smile.

Smiling at him in return, Firo said, "Thanks for that, by the way. I felt horrible."

"I bet you did," Luck muttered. He didn't intend for Firo to hear him, but his friend still looked up in alarm.

Suddenly the door burst open, and in waltzed Vino. "Alright!" he said, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes. "Time for lunch!"

"Finally, I'm starving," Firo grinned.

Luck said nothing, and simply slipped his suit coat back on.

"Are we going to the dining car?" Firo continued, excited to finally get some proper food. He and Luck had eaten the pastries earlier, but they hadn't been very filling.

Vino nodded, and waited for both of them to leave the compartment before exiting himself and closing the door behind him.

"Just head for the dining car," Vino told Firo, who nodded, and continued leading them down the training.

"Hey, it's kind of dark in here..." Firo trailed off as he stepped into the dining car. Luck, going in behind him, murmured his assent.

Vino grinned and shut the door behind the two friends. He turned his key in the lock, and was about to start making his way back for the bombs when he heard Firo's voice.

"Vino! Wait, aren't you com... Wait, it's locked! Vino!" Firo cried.

Smirking, Vino continued to the baggage car. Oh, the fun to be had...

...

Luck frowned. "_Why would Vino...?"_

He turned and frowned deeper. "Firo..."

The boy turned and stood beside Luck. "Wha-"

"Not only is it dark, but there's no one else here." Luck gazed around the room with narrowed eyes. Every booth was empty, including the space behind the food counter. There was nobody there.

Luck's eyes alighted on one booth, and he walked towards it cautiously. When he arrived, he had to contain himself from punching the wall in frustration.

The table in front of him was covered with a white tablecloth, like all of the tables in the room, but it had plates and plates of food set out on it. There were main courses, side dishes, and desserts. And in the middle of the table stood a small white vase with a single red rose.

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**A/N: I promise to update in a much more timely manner!  
****Oh,yes, REVIEWS. Reviews? Please? Tell me what you think? Reviews are made of awesome... **


	7. The Waltz of Treachery

**Author's Note:**** Hi! As promised, here's the chapter! Sorry, it's a bit short again. Although, if it snows some more, and school is cancelled, then I might be able to update before the weekend... In any case, I hope this chapter is satisfactory!**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own any of Baccano!**

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_The Waltz of Treachery_

Firo stepped over to Luck, a look of confusion painted on his face.

"What's this?" He looked at Luck when there was no response. "Luck?"

Luck was having a very hard time containing himself, and let out a sharp sigh. "Vino's way of teasing us, Firo."

Firo blinked, still puzzled. "Teasing us? What do you mean?"

Luck smiled in spite of himself. "Never mind. Dig in. I know you're hungry."

"Wow, cool!" Firo exclaimed, and sat down in the booth. He pulled one of the dishes over to him and started eating. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked Luck, pausing in between mouthfuls.

"In a minute," Luck replied, distracted. He wandered over to the other end of the dining car, though he was sure Vino would never have forgotten to lock both sides. Sure enough, the door wouldn't budge.

Smiling bitterly, he took a careful glance around the dining car.

All the windows were all darkened by something, and Luck wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was keeping the sunlight out. The only light source was coming from the table at which Firo sat, consuming dish after dish of food. Six candles were set out on the table, illuminating the table enough to allow for adequate sight. Where Luck stood, however, was quite dim.

He was walking back over to Firo when the first bomb went off.

...

Vino was grinning madly. This really was too much fun. He wished he had a method of seeing Luck's reaction, but unfortunately, he had other things to attend to.

Mainly just distressing the people in the car he was currently in. Sure enough, as he watched from his room, the passengers fled the car, heading for some place that didn't have exploding bombs. Once the hallway was empty, Vino stepped calmly out, and closed the door behind him. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for the predictable sound of the door banging open.

And it came, right on cue. In burst Ladd Russo, gun in hand, and a wild grin on his face. "Here I was thinking you might've chickened out," he laughed at Vino.

Vino smiled at him. "Oh no, quite the contrary." He showed off the bomb in his hand.

...

Nice and Jacuzzi froze.

Frantically exchanging a glance, they burst out of their room.

"Okay, it came from that direction, which is good. We have to get to the baggage cars," Nice gasped, starting to sprint down the train. Jacuzzi followed quickly behind her, the leather bag in one of his hands.

...

Firo looked up from his plate with wide eyes. "Luck..."

"I know, I heard," Luck replied quickly, already at the door they'd entered through. He tried the knob fruitlessly, as the door still didn't budge.

Sighing in frustration, Luck leaned against the door. He had to think of something.

Firo came up and put a hand on Luck's shoulder. "It's all right, Luck. We'll think of something."

Luck looked up and met Firo's eyes. Firo smiled reassuringly. And the second bomb went off.

...

'_That one wasn't supposed to happen,' _Vino mused to himself, amused. And it certainly hadn't been his fault it was set off.

Ladd had lunged for Vino, and fired off his gun. Vino had ducked, naturally, but the bomb fell out of his hand. Ladd's bullet had hit the gun by a sheer stroke of bad luck, causing the explosion.

Vino heard a thump, which he assumed was Ladd hitting the floor. He sighed, as his vision was completely obstructed by the thick smoke exuding from the bomb. It made things a little more difficult. Picking himself up, he continued to loudly stomp down the hall, and exit the car loudly. It wouldn't be any fun if Ladd didn't follow him.

He clambered onto the roof easily, and waited for the homicidal maniac to appear.

Vino didn't have to wait long before he was dodging Ladd's bullets again.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Vino asked conversationally, as he ducked one of Ladd's punches.

Ladd grinned at him madly. "Too long," he agreed, firing off another round of bullets, all of which Vino evaded easily.

...

Luck paced the room, his hands clasped behind his back, and his brow furrowed. It didn't make any sense. He'd figured out why Vino had locked them in there, but then the bombs went off. Surely Vino knew that they would never sit still with that? Unless...

Luck sighed. No. There was no "unless". He glanced at the booth with the candles. Firo sat slumped against one of the seats, staring blankly at the table.

He tore his gaze away from his friend. He had to figure out why Vino was doing this. That was the surest way of finding a way out of the car.

After pacing some more, Luck suddenly had an idea.

"Firo," he said.

Firo jerked his head up. "Yeah?"

"Pass me one of those candles," Luck ordered, walking briskly over to one of the darkened windows.

Firo obeyed without question, bringing a candle over. He handed the flame to Luck, who accepted it with a murmured thank you.

Luck held the candle up to the window, being careful not to hold it too close. He squinted, examining the edges of the window. Running a finger along the edge, he narrowed his eyes. "Firo, hold the candle, will you?"

Firo nodded, and took the candle from Luck, holding it in place for him.

Luck used his other hand to brace himself against the wall as he pulled at the fabric covering the window. He sighed when the fabric wouldn't come off.

"What did he _use_?" Firo scoffed, incredulous.

Luck shook his head. He peered closely at the edge. Suddenly, he hurried back over to the table with the lunch set out. He grabbed a knife, and hurried back over to where Firo was holding the candle. Hoping that it worked, Luck began running the knife around the edges of the window. Sure enough, the heavy black fabric started to peel away from the window.

Luck exchanged a glance with Firo.

"So, out the window, is it?" Firo asked.

Luck looked back out the window and nodded.

"Okay, I'll-"

"No," Luck said sharply. "I'll go out, and then unlock the dining car for you."

Firo looked like he was going to argue, but Luck shot him a look which quieted him.

"Luck, be careful," Firo whispered.

Luck smiled tightly and nodded. "Just give me a few minutes."

Firo watched him go out through the window with concerned eyes.

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**A/N:**** Reviews? *hopeful* Please? I know this wasn't the best of chapters, but criticism is still welcome! **


	8. Every Day

**Author's Note: Oh my goodness, I'm so very sorry! It's been way too long for any sort of excuse, so the only thing I'll offer is that I'm SO bad at time management. The past month has been really hectic for me, but things are settling down again, so I'll hopefully have this finished before anything like that happens again.  
This chapter is really short, and really the only reason for that is just to prove that I'm alive, and I have in no sense abandoned this story. I'll update as soon as possible with something longer, I promise.  
****So again, I'm really incredibly sorry.**

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_Every Day_

Jacuzzi was looking at the sheer number of bombs in one of the boxes when he was overcome with desperation. "Nice! W-what are we supposed to do with all these?"

"I'm still figuring that out," Nice replied, after she'd located all the boxes.

"We can't really take them all back with us!"

"And we can't exactly throw them off the train..." Nice added, her brow furrowing. What were they supposed to do with a hundred smoke bombs?

...

Firo waited anxiously for some sort of sign from Luck, but none came. He grew increasingly more nervous as he paced the area between the window and the door, hopeful for a shout or a yell.

At last, after what seemed like ages too long, Firo heard a thump on the other side, which he presumed to be Luck landing on the outside platform of the train.

"Firo?"

Firo's face broke out into a relieved smile.

"Luck!" he called, glad to hear his friend's voice again.

On the other side of the door, Luck stood relieved as well, for no particular reason. Maybe he thought that in the five minute span in which it took him to climb over the train car, Firo had somehow vanished into thin air, or mortally injured himself, or set the car on fire. All of which seemed like pretty silly things to be concerned about, since Firo was immortal, after all.

"Okay, Firo, stay where you are. I should be through in a few minutes or so," Luck said.

He then bent down to examine the handle and to hopefully figure out the manner in which Vino had locked it.

As he puzzled over the lock, he mulled over the events in his head. It still didn't make any sense. Why would Vino invite them out to Sacramento, only to do something like this on the train? Because Luck didn't have a doubt in his mind that Vino was behind everything. He was the one who rigged the dining car, and he was most certainly behind the explosions. Luck just knew, particularly with the way Vino had been grinning all morning. But what he couldn't figure out was _why_. Especially if he needed them for Sacramento.

Unless...

Luck had a breakthrough just as he managed to open the door.

But as Firo stood there grinning at him in happiness, Luck's eyes were open in surprise.

"Luck? What's wrong?" Firo asked, the smile quickly fading from his face.

His friend just stared at him as recognition dawned across his face.

There was no Sacramento. There were no friends of friends they had to convince. This was the entirety of Vino's plan.

Luck sighed, unsure whether to be amused or annoyed. The Rail Tracer was playing the role of matchmaker.

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**A/N: I'm sorry if it's really horrible, apart from the shortness. I wrote this during class today, so I hope you enjoy it, if only for that reason. *smile* **


	9. The Runaway Cart

**Author's Note: Yay! Another chapter! *grins* This one's kind of short, as well, but I'm happy (and sad) to announce that we're almost done. If all goes as planned (which it seldom does, honestly) then the next chapter should be the last.  
I'm honestly very proud of myself that I've managed to get this up on time. *blush* But anyway.  
For the Ladd/Vino fight scene, I decided to take a stab at something humorous, so I'm sorry if it fails. I'm not very good at being funny, unless it's unintentional. *sigh* I hope it came out okay, though. As usual, I hope you enjoy!**

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_The Runaway Cart_

Jacuzzi grimaced. After everything they'd thought of, they'd ended up deciding that their current plan of action was probably the most reasonable one. It was the least impossible, in any case. But that did not make it easier.

"Nice, I need a little help," Jacuzzi managed, as he tried to fit one of the boxes through the hatch in the roof.

"I'll be there in a minute." Nice's voice was distant, coming from the other side of the baggage car.

Jacuzzi shifted his hold on the box for a minute, as he could feel a splinter digging into the palm of his hand. Unfortunately, this little relocation of his placement caused the box to slip dangerously downward. Jacuzzi panicked. "Nice!" he called, voice high with anxiety. "It's going to fall!"

Nice straightened up from behind the stacks of suitcases to watch in horror as both the box and Jacuzzi toppled from their precarious position on top of a make-shift ladder.

So far, the plan was not boding well.

...

Oddly enough, things had gotten serious fast.

Ladd stood a few inches away from Vino with his gun pointed directly at his heart. Vino, although he hated to admit it to himself, was trapped.

After having a brief respite in their fighting on the roof, they'd managed to make their way back inside the train and into one of the compartments. Vino was cornered, quite literally, at the meeting of the window wall and the decorative wall of the compartment.

A strange observation to note is this: if a random stranger or passerby happened to glance into this particular compartment at this particular time, the only thing vouching for the fact that Ladd was indeed trying to kill Vino was the gun being brandished at his chest. Otherwise it could be assumed that the two men were in the middle of a comfortable... encounter. Of the romantic kind.

"So... do I kill you now?" Ladd asked, the tiniest trace of confusion just audible behind all the smirk in his voice.

Vino raised an eyebrow. "If it's my decision, then I should say no, obviously. Though I suppose it's not exactly my decision to make. You're holding the damn gun."

Ladd grinned. "So I am."

Vino waited patiently for the gunshot to come, but it never did. He looked at Ladd curiously. "Not that you could kill me if you even tried, but what's stopping you?" He was irritated. Obviously Ladd couldn't kill him, since he couldn't die, but he couldn't figure out _why_ Ladd wasn't killing him.

Ladd shrugged. "You don't seem interesting enough to kill."

Vino narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult?"

Ladd burst into wild laughter.

Vino stepped closer, ready to grab the gun from Ladd and turn it on him. This was not a laughing matter.

Unfortunately, not much seemed to be going right for Vino that day.

...

"Luck...?" Firo's brow was creased in confusion. Just after managing to open the door, his friend had fallen into a thoughtful silence, punctuated by a look of recognition. Though about what, Firo wasn't certain.

"Luck, what happened?" Firo asked, unsure what was puzzling his friend so.

Luck finally looked up at Firo, a faint blush colouring his cheeks as he did so. "Nothing. Don't worry about it, Firo."

Firo sighed, slightly miffed at his friend. He knew that Luck only wanted the best for him, and to protect him, but sometimes he just needed to relax and let him in. "All right, Luck. What now? Should we find Vino?" he asked, remembering the whole reason they were there in the first place.

"Yeah," Luck agreed, a hint of menace in voice. "Let's find Vino. I have an issue to resolve with him."

...

Jacuzzi and Nice stared in surprise as the figure straightened up and placed the box on the ground, dusting off his hands and grinning.

"Yay, Isaac!" cried Miria from behind him.

"T-thanks," Jacuzzi stammered, getting up from the ground.

Nice came over to him, checking to make sure he was all right. Then she turned to the strange couple, smiling. "Isaac and Miria, right? We've met before."

Isaac nodded, holding out his hand for her to shake. "So we have." He glanced at the boxes. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

Jacuzzi and Nice exchanged a look. Suddenly, a smile spread across Nice's face. "Actually, yes. There is something you could do..."

...

The fact of the matter was that Luck and Vino together in one room was already a bad idea. And on top of that, the fact that Vino had miscalculated his plan a little bit made it even worse. Because four people who each have a problem with the other should never be allowed in the same room. Especially not in such a small room. And _especially_when those four people include Vino and Ladd.

Luck burst into the compartment, a complaint already on his lips. This died when he saw Vino and Ladd.

"Vino!" he began, but quickly paused.

Firo stopped beside him, also confused.

Vino was frozen less than a foot away from Ladd, hand reaching for his gun, and Ladd's laugh had faded away upon the intrusion. Both turned to look at the new arrivals.

Vino's first reaction was to look pleased, and then annoyed. "You got out?"

"Yes." Luck's voice was quiet. "Surely you expected that. And I am not pleased that you lied to us, Vino."

"Huh?" Firo looked from Vino to Luck. "What did he lie about?"

Vino grinned. "Go ahead, Luck. Tell him. Unless you want me to."

Luck paled a little, sparing a glance at Firo, who still had confusion written all over his face. He threw Vino a glare before turning and leaving the room, motioning for Firo to follow him.

"Hope you get killed one day, Vino," Luck called over his shoulder.

Vino laughed. "You and I both know that won't happen," he smirked.

Firo followed Luck out of the room, hoping that something would finally get resolved, and leaving the sociopath to the mercy of the homicidal maniac.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, or favourited my story. Or any combination of those. *laugh* I love you all!  
Oh, and I don't own Baccano! (sadly). **


	10. A Heart Full of Love

**_Author's Note: _I AM SO SORRY FOR MY DELAY. SO VERY SORRY. *cries* I know that excuses and apologies won't help, so I won't bother, but I really am very sorry to keep you all waiting so long. Every time I would get a new notification that someone added this to their story alert, I would feel so guilty! (This is why I should only write one-shots.)  
But anyway. I hope you are all as excited as I am because Red and Black is ALMOST FINISHED! Well, it is finished. But presumably you guys haven't read it yet. *grin* I hope you all like it, and that the [long and unfair] wait was worth it! **

* * *

_FINALE:  
__A Heart Full of Love_

"Jacuzzi, I just had an idea," Nice said, her face lighting up as she smiled. She motioned him over and whispered the new plan.

"What if, instead of trying to throw them off without exploding, we just ship them back to New York?"

Jacuzzi looked at her blankly.

Nice continued, "We could re-label them, and once we get to Sacramento, we could transfer them to a trans-continental going to the East Coast!"

"Oh," Jacuzzi said, realization dawning. "W-would that work?" he asked, brow furrowing. "Would it be enough to get them away from the R-rail Tracer?"

Nice's smile faded away. "It's better than anything we've thought of so far, so I think it's worth the risk."

Jacuzzi nodded. "All right, Nice. So we need to re-label all of these for the warehouse."

Suddenly Nice realized a flaw in her plan. "Re-label them with what?" she muttered, looking around the baggage car for any sort of inspiration.

Finally, an idea proffered itself up in Nice's mind.

She turned to Isaac and Miria, grinning. "You two are thieves, right?"

Isaac and Miria exchanged a look, then simultaneously made a thumbs-up. "You bet!"

"Okay, here's what I want you to do..."

...

Isaac and Miria strolled through the dining car, gazing around surreptitiously. Well, as surreptitiously as they can get.

"Hey, over there," Miria whispered far too loudly to be discreet. "He looks like he's writing a letter!"

Isaac nodded, rubbing his chin. "He does..."

Nodding at Miria, Isaac not-so-smoothly glided over to where a wealthy-looking man in a top hat sat hunched over a loosely-bound sheaf of paper.

"Hello, good sir!" Isaac grinned, tipping his own hat.

The man blinked up at him confusedly.

"Hello," he said, both tiredly and warily. "How can I help you?"

"Ah, see, I was wondering," Isaac started, but was interrupted by a scream from Miria, on the other side of the cabin.

"Uwaaah~!" she cried dramatically. "Th-there's a man coming this way with guns!" she yelled, terror written on her face.

Several people started frantically chattering and moving about, including the man with the top hat, and Isaac took the opportunity to sneak the man's parchment and fountain pen away from him. After obtaining the objects, he winked at Miria, and made his way through the panicked crowd of people towards her. Together, they slipped through the door, heading back to the baggage cars.

They left behind a shocked crowd, as is usually the case.

...

Luck sighed as Firo followed him out into the corridor. He didn't want to have to explain it like this.

Firo watched Luck carefully. He could tell his friend was upset, and he assumed it was because of whatever Vino had done, but exactly what that was he wasn't sure.

"Firo," Luck started resignedly. "There's something we need to talk about."

Firo's brow furrowed. "What did Vino lie about, Luck?" he asked, ignoring Luck's statement.

Luck sighed and leaned against the wall of the hallway. "We're not here because he needs help."

"Wha-" Firo started to ask, but Luck held up a hand to stop him.

"There's no one in Sacramento we need to convince. He lied about needing our help." Luck's eyes had drifted down to stare at the floor, but now he lifted them to meet Firo's gaze.

Firo was staring at him, confusion still etched on his face. "Why, Luck? Why did he lie?"

Luck sighed and stepped away, pacing down to the end of the hall, and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Vino… thought it would be fun… to set up a scenario. In which…" Here Luck faltered, unsure how to proceed.

Firo's face was more wary and open now. "In which what, Luck?" he said quietly.

Luck kept his face angled away from Firo as he felt a hot blush spreading on his cheeks. "In which you and I were placed in a romantic environment, in order to spark feelings of mutual amorousness." Luck closed his eyes and waited for Firo to say something.

When Firo finally did voice his thoughts, his voice was still quiet, and he merely asked of Luck a simple question: "Did he succeed?"

Luck turned around slowly and looked at Firo. They'd known each other for years; since they were little kids. Luck couldn't remember when he first started feeling differently about Firo, only that he knew it wasn't acceptable. He'd been hiding his real feelings for so long, he refused to believe that this conversation was taking place.

Firo, on the other hand, had accepted his feelings for Luck, but knew that they could never be reciprocated. Well, that's what he'd told himself.

Both of them waited for the other to say something first, each cautious about taking the first step onto what they thought was very thin ice.

Luck sighed. "Firo..."

Firo tensed, sensing what was about to come next.

"Firo, I've loved you for longer than I can remember. And I didn't need Vino to show me that..."

Firo could feel his mouth open a little in surprise, but he couldn't do anything about it. Luck had... That hadn't been anything like he was expecting.

"I completely understand if you don't feel the same way," Luck was saying quietly. Firo had to exert exorbitant amounts of effort to pull himself back into the conversation. "It's comprehensively irrational, as well as impractical and improbable. Not to mention off-putting, which is why I'd kept it secret from you, though I realize that was wrong, as well as childish. I'm sorry, Firo."

"Luck," Firo started, but was unsure of how to proceed.

"I'm hopeful that this won't tar our friendship, though I'd understand if it did," Luck added as an afterthought.

Firo stared at him as if he'd grown three heads.

Luck sighed, and smiled tightly. "It's all right, Firo. You can tell me the truth."

Firo smiled. "You're so stupid, sometimes," he said affectionately.

Luck stared at him in surprise. "In what way?"

"Not intellectually, of course," Firo backtracked hastily. "In the emotional sense." His expression softened again. "Here we are, friends for years, both in love with the other, but neither saying anything because we're too scared of what the other thinks." Suddenly realizing he was babbling, Firo stopped. He took a deep breath, and finally said, "Luck, I love you too."

Luck's lips twitched into a smile, and he hesitated before holding out his hand cautiously. Firo blinked at it, then took Luck's hand, a radiant smile lighting up his face.

Firo opened his mouth to say something, but before he had a chance, they were interrupted by a loud crash coming from the compartment they'd exited, followed by raucous laughter.

Raising an eyebrow, Luck smiled, his face looking more relaxed than it had in months. "Come on. I think Vino might be needing some assistance."

...

Isaac and Miria entered, brandishing the pen and paper wildly.

Nice grinned. "I knew you would do it!"

Even Jacuzzi managed a smile.

"Okay, now we just have to address them all back to the warehouse. We can manage that." Nice looked genuinely relieved. She took a piece of paper and began writing out the address with the fountain pen. Jacuzzi took the finished paper, and fit it on top of the current address on the box.

Nice smiled. "Great."

They continued on in this way until all the boxes had the address of their original starting point. Jacuzzi and Nice stood back and looked at them.

"What now?" Jacuzzi asked nervously.

"Now we wait," Nice sighed. "We wait for the train to arrive."

...

Both Firo and Luck stared for a moment upon entering the compartment, shocked. Then, simultaneously, each lunged for one of the occupants.

Luck jumped over one of the toppled armchairs gracefully to grab Ladd's arms and pin them behind him, grabbing the gun from his hand as an extra precaution.

Firo pushed Vino out of the way, also twisting his arms behind him and holding them by the wrists.

Despite behind held back, they continued shouting profanities at each other, Ladd with an insane grin on his face, and Vino with a creased brow and slight frown.

Luck held back a sigh, and contemplated shooting a bullet through the window to get their attention. He never had to make the decision, though, because Firo had already taken control, to Luck's surprise.

"Hey, hey!" Firo yelled, annoyance showing through in his voice. He turned, twisting Vino's wrists upward so sharply that even the sociopath had to gasp.

He stood in the middle of the compartment with Vino glaring at him over his shoulder. The grin had slipped from Ladd's face, annoyed that his fun was being interrupted.

"You guys can either settle this yourselves with_out_ killing each other, _or_ me and Luck can settle it for you." Firo lifted an eyebrow. "What do you say?"

Vino scowled and twisted out of Firo's grasp.

"Don't treat me like a kid, Firo," he stated in a low voice. "Those days are long gone." Turning briskly, he stalked out of the compartment without another word.

Luck let out a chuckle and released his grasp on Ladd. However, when Ladd made to go after Vino, Firo stepped in front of the door, blocking his way.

Ladd narrowed his eyes, and started reaching for his gun, but Luck had taken it from him long ago.

"Hey-" Ladd started menacingly, advancing towards Luck.

Luck levelled the gun evenly at his heart. "Listen."

Ladd shut his mouth, contenting himself with glaring daggers at Luck.

"Despite the fact you two can't stand each other, you will not go after Vino."

Ladd started to protest, but Luck clicked the trigger ominously.

"And should you decide to ignore my warning, know that you will be next." Luck held Ladd's gaze, unflinching. Lowering his voice, he murmured, "Is that understood? If not, I can assure you I will do a lot worse than break your arm."

Ladd narrowed his eyes. "You never broke-"

Within a flash, Luck had Ladd's arm behind his back again, pulling it up to a dangerous angle.

Hissing uncomfortably, Ladd shouted, "FINE! I won't kill that idiotic coward."

Luck smirked to himself, letting go of Ladd's arm. "I think I'll keep your gun in my possession. Just as a memento." He smiled.

Ladd glared at them once more before stomping out of the compartment to return to his own, with a perfectly calm Lua waiting inside in a disappointingly white dress.

Luck and Firo exchanged a look, and Firo grinned.

Suddenly thinking of something, Firo asked, "Luck? They're going to try to kill each other again, aren't they?"

Luck smiled. "Most definitely."

Firo frowned, unhappy with that idea.

Smiling, Luck took Firo's hand. "It's okay. We'll be there to make sure Vino doesn't do anything too stupid. Just like always."

Firo only stared at Luck's hand intertwined in his.

Luck smiled softly and pulled Firo into a hug. Firo buried his head into Luck's shoulders, breathing in his familiar scent.

Luck pulled away, smiling affectionately. "You and me."

Firo smiled as well, and pulled him into a hug again. "Like always," he murmured.

_~FIN~_

* * *

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who has read this and enjoyed it (and even if you didn't enjoy it), and added it to their favourites and/or Story Alert. There's so many of you guys, but each one of you makes me happy, because I can't actually believe that you like it! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND I LOVE YOU ALL. That is all.**

**I lied. That is not all. I'm going to tell you a secret. I don't like this ending. Why? It leaves some things unresolved... *hint hint* I'm bad at being subtle. I might write an epilogue (and by might, I mean probably), but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up in case it ends up being added a bajillion weeks from now. But just know that that's an option! *smiles* **

**Thank you, again, and I hope you enjoyed _Red and Black_~! **


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